Trump’s Awful Week The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies.

The U.S. president is picking fights in every direction, alienating key supporters and allies. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/16/t...

Will Netanyahu Derail the Iran War Cease-Fire? Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is threatening the tenuous truce.

This week's SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social explores how Israel’s offensive in Lebanon is threatening the tenuous Iran war ceasefire. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/09/i...

5 Unanswered Questions on the U.S.-Iran Cease-Fire The fragile truce faces significant obstacles.

The fragile truce faces significant obstacles. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/08/u...

U.S. and Iran Agree to 2-Week Cease-Fire The announcement came less than two hours before Trump’s deadline was set to expire.

More on the ceasefire itself from my colleague @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social

foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/07/i...

What’s Next for the Iran War? A prime-time Trump speech offered few clues.

@jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and I also wrote about the (few) clues offered by Trump in his Wednesday night prime time speech about how and when the war with Iran might end, in this week's Situation Report newsletter: foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/02/t...

What a U.S. Operation to Get Iran’s Uranium Would Look Like It’s even more complicated than capturing a Venezuelan president.

We still don't know what the tens of thousands of U.S. troops in Iran might be used for, but @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social explored the most dangerous possibility—a mission to seize Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles: foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/01/u...

What a U.S. Operation to Get Iran’s Uranium Would Look Like It’s even more complicated than capturing a Venezuelan president.

Trump has vacillated over whether the U.S. needs to secure Iran's highly enriched uranium. That could be because an operation to do so would be extremely risky. I spoke with former U.S. officials who expressed grave concerns over the potential dangers. foreignpolicy.com/2026/04/01/u...

Will Trump Put Boots on the Ground in Iran? Thousands more U.S. troops are heading to the Middle East.

Read the latest SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social for a breakdown on the thousands of additional U.S. troops that Trump is sending to the Middle East and the operations they could potentially be involved in. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/26/t...

Could Iran Actually Attack the U.S. Homeland With Drones? No country is immune to the threat of drone warfare, experts warn.

A report earlier this month on potential Iranian drone attacks in California raised a lot of alarm. It turned out to be based on unverified info. But I spoke with multiple drone/security experts who warned that the U.S. still needs to be prepared for such threats: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/25/i...

Assessing (and Not Assessing) the Threats to the United States The U.S. intelligence community’s latest global threat assessment focuses heavily on Iran.

FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and @iyengarish.bsky.social take a look at what the intelligence community’s annual threat assessment says about the primary U.S. adversaries, conflicts, and threats in 2026. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/i...

Israel Attacking Iran’s Energy ‘Wasn’t a Surprise’ to the Trump Administration Israel’s top diplomat in New York City says strikes like the one on Iran’s South Pars gas field were “part of the plan.”

Yesterday, Israel’s top diplomat in NYC told me strikes like the one on Iran’s South Pars gas field were “part of the plan” and suggested the U.S. knew that Israel would attack Iran’s energy infrastructure. Hours later, Trump was singing a different tune. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/19/i...

Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Toolkit: Drones, Missiles, and Mines A breakdown of the tools Iran has to maintain pressure on Trump.

FP’s @iyengarish.bsky.social and @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social explain the tools that Iran still has to maintain pressure on Trump.

Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Toolkit: Drones, Missiles, and Mines A breakdown of the tools Iran has to maintain pressure on Trump.

The U.S. war against Iran has converged on the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane where the fight appears to be largely on Iran's terms at the moment. @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social and I look at how the Iranian regime is applying pressure to the critical waterway.

foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/12/i...

Trump Orders Strikes on Kharg Island, a Vital Hub for Iran’s Oil However, Trump said that “for reasons of decency,” he chose “NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island.”

However, Trump said that “for reasons of decency,” he chose “NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island.” foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/13/k...

Yet another example of the confusing messaging from this administration on the Iran war. And it's not just re: the timeline. They've also failed to offer consistent justifications and objectives.

President Gustavo Petro's left-wing coalition was on track to be the largest bloc in Colombia's next Congress after a better-than-expected showing in legislative elections. The vote comes ahead of a May 31 presidential vote to elect Petro’s successor.
u.afp.com/Su9X

The Iran War Has Rapidly Expanded Beyond the Middle East A country-by-country breakdown on how the war has spread.

A country-by-country breakdown on how the war has spread. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/09/i...

Ukrainian troops say their hard-won lessons on Iranian Shaheds apply far beyond their war at home Ukraine developed low-cost ways to defeat Iranian drone designs, and some troops say the lessons from its war now have wider relevance.

"We were sure the US had some secret weapon" against Shahed drones, a Ukrainian commander said. The war in Iran proved that wrong.

Via BI's @byjepstein.bsky.social , Sinéad Bake and Matthew Loh:

www.businessinsider.com/ukrainian-tr...

Operation Epic Confusion Trump’s goals in Iran are expansive, shifting, and potentially impossible.

Trump’s goals in Iran are expansive, shifting, and potentially impossible.

More on that in the latest SitRep from me and @iyengarish.bsky.social: foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/05/t...

“The Iranian navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf," Hegseth said. "Decimated, destroyed, defeated.”

Later, Caine said that the U.S. has "effectively neutralized" Iran's navy, but also said that "CENTCOM will continue to strike infrastructure and naval capability."

A bit of a theme is emerging in Pentagon briefings re: Iran. Hegseth makes sweeping statements. Then Caine offers more measured assessments. Hegseth today said Iran's navy is "no more." Then Caine made it clear that the effort to destroy the navy is ongoing. A notable disconnect.

The Trump Administration’s Iran War Justifications Keep Changing The U.S. president and his officials can’t get their story straight.

The U.S. president and his officials can’t get their story straight. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/03/t...

Pentagon Says Iran War Is ‘Not Iraq,’ but Won’t Rule Out Boots on the Ground “This is not a so-called regime change war,” Hegseth said.

“This is not a so-called regime change war,” Hegseth said. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/02/p...

Trump Addresses First U.S. Deaths in Iran War, Possibility of Talks The U.S. president said Tehran’s leaders want to talk even as they vowed revenge.

The U.S. president said Tehran’s leaders want to talk even as they vowed revenge. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/01/u...

First U.S. Casualties Confirmed in Iran War The announcement comes as the war continues into its second day.

The announcement comes as the war continues into its second day. foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/01/u...

Trump Says Iranian Supreme Leader Is Dead Iran has not confirmed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death.

From me and @iyengarish.bsky.social: Trump Says Iranian Supreme Leader Is Dead foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/t...

The Pentagon and Anthropic’s High-Stakes Game of Chicken The U.S. military wants unrestricted use of the AI company’s language models.

I wrote about the broader fight that led to that statement in today's @foreignpolicy.com Situation Report foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/26/p... via @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social

U.S., Israel Begin ‘Major Combat Operations’ in Iran “They’ve rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore,” Trump said.

U.S., Israel Begin ‘Major Combat Operations’ in Iran 🎧

foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/28/u... w @jennruth.bsky.social @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social via @foreignpolicy.com

Will Trump’s Luck Run Out if He Attacks Iran Again? Four former generals break down the risks of a U.S. attack.

Former U.S. military leaders expressed concerns about the risks for U.S. forces and allies in the region if Trump gives the go-ahead for strikes, reports FP’s @jchaltiwanger.bsky.social.

Rep. Al Green was holding a sign that reads "Black People Aren't Apes" at the State of the Union:

Rep. Al Green was holding a sign that reads "Black People Aren't Apes" at the #SOTU: